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Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior Writer
WNBA star Caitlin Clark once quipped that she would spend the offseason working to become a professional golfer.
Basketball fans can relax, because the Indiana Fever star and WNBA Rookie of the Year said Tuesday she was only joking.
Clark is set to play with world No. 1 Nelly Korda on the front nine and 10-time major champion Annika Sörenstam on the back in Wednesday’s pro-am at The Annika at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida.
“You know, having my first WNBA season behind me and being here is super cool,” Clark said Tuesday. “I’ve tried to take as much time as I can to practice, but there is only so much hope. You just cross your fingers, pray.
“No, I’ve practiced a little bit and I just had the quote about becoming a professional golfer. Everybody thought I was serious. I was not serious. I love it. I love being outside and making it competitive with my friends.”
Clark described herself as an “average golfer” with about a 16 handicap. She has carded scores in the mid-80s but admitted, “Usually, I’m just praying to break 100.”
“I’m strong, and I can hit it. It just usually doesn’t go straight,” Clark said at the LPGA Women’s Leadership Summit on Tuesday. “I mean sometimes it goes straight, but it depends. You just step up there and hope for the best. … I just don’t want to hit anyone with a golf ball. That’s my No. 1 priority.”
Clark said that growing up, she played golf with her father. She named PGA Tour star Rory McIlroy as her favorite golfer.
It’s the second time Clark will compete in a pro-am at a professional event. She played in one at the PGA Tour’s 2023 John Deere Classic in Silvis, Illinois. The then-Iowa Hawkeyes basketball star was paired with Ludvig Åberg on the front nine and fellow Iowan Zach Johnson on the back.
“I was pretty nervous,” Clark said. “I’ll probably be nervous tomorrow, too. I don’t know. I mean, I remind myself, like, I don’t really care what happens. Doesn’t really matter. I don’t play golf for a living.
“Just have fun with it. This isn’t super serious. Enjoy the experience. There were so many people that would kill to be in my position or in my shoes. The people following outside the ropes would love an opportunity to hit a ball on the first tee or something like that.”
Sörenstam, who has 96 titles worldwide, offered Clark some advice.
“You’re an athlete and used to crowds, and I’m sure you play better under pressure,” Sörenstam said. “I’m a senior golfer now, so I have been working a little bit on my game because I needed to. It’s all about having fun.”